Method of making butter



Patented Dec. 19, 1944 uu 'rso STATES PATENT OFFICE rmrnop oi m u airman clinics dangers, Detroit, Mich.

No Drawing. Application Au Serial No. 350,086

.- Claim.

This invention relates to the making of butter and has for its principal obiect the provi. sion of an improved process by the practice of whichasuperior product will result. I o

Objects of the invention include, lathe-preparation of sour cream fo'r'u's'e in the manufacture of butter or for otherpurposes, the step of pasteurinng creainwith live steam beiorethe acidity of the cream has been materially reduced: the provisionjof a proces for pr paringsour cream for erein the manufacture oi butter or for other purposes including the. steps of pasteuriaing the cream before material standutilization of the acid content thereof and then standardizing the acid in the cream after pasteurization: the provision of a method ormaklng butter includins' the steps" of pasteurizing sour cream with live steam, standardizing'the acid-in the pasteurized cream, and then churning the cream to make butter; the provision ofa meth d of treating sour as above set out in which the cream, after pasteurization and hefore standardization of acidity is Subjected to a centrifugal clarifying operation; the provision of a method of treating sour cream as above set out in which the clarification step is accomplished by passing the through a centrifugai clariiier or other device designed to accompiish physical separation of liquidsand/or solids that may contain two or moreisuhsta nces of different specific gravi'ties permittins separation oi their constituentsby submission to centrifugal force; and the provision of a method of treatin; sour cream including the steps of pasteunz ing the cream at'a pressure above or below atmospheric and then discharging it'at a temperaturc of between 150' 1-. and 350 F. into one or more chambers under the influence oi a partial vacuum, then either in a hot or cold state, through a centriiugal clarifler, and subsequently standardizing the acid content of the cream. i

The above being among the objects of the present invention the same consists in certain novel steps or operation and combinations oi" such steps in the preparation of sour cream for the purpose or making butter or ior other uses. as well as to certain stepsfland combinationsof steps of operation upon sour cream ultimately gultliected to a churning operation to produce u ter. 7 w

While the present invention is primarily concerned with the manufacture or butter from sour cream; certain steps in the preparation of the cream enhancing its valuein the ultimate conpassing the treated cream;

Inst 2', 1940,

(01. team) be the principal fleld of use at the present time.

, The term sour cream" refers to cream that has undergone certain fermentations, chiefly the conversion) part 01' the lactose present in milk and creaminto lactic acidby the activity of certen: micro-organisms. Cream obtained from milk immediately after it has been drawn from the udder of a healthy cow contains no lactic acid as such; however,- employing phenolphthalein as an indicator and titrating a portion .oi'such cream with standardized sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. a value is expressed as percent acidity calculated as lactic acid. This is only apparent acidity since some of the minerals, acid salts and carbon dioxide readily combine with the titrating alkali whereas no actual lactic acid has yet been produced. Real acidity is manifested some time after the cream has been produced, the factors influencing this production including time and temperature. Lactic acid bacteria are predominant in the flora usually found in cream and under favorable conditions with respect to temperatures, the production of lactic acid progresses very rapidly. For the purpose of the invention a clear distinction should be made from cream where only apparent acidity is presout or the pH is within the range for cream without actual acidity, with that cream that has undergone the iermentative changes or convertin: some of the lactose into lactic acid, and the term sour cream" will be understood in the accompariyiiu specification and claims as cream that contains any measurable quantity of lactic acid as measured by either titration or hydrosen ion concentration and that the acidity is real, rather than apparent.

Since other acids and acid salts are found in the cream during the normal souring or fermentation. lactic acid is present with free fatty acids, propionic, acetic and others. Sour cream employed in the manufacture of butter and for other purposes usually contains material quantities of lactic acid. Such cream as so received by'creameries unavoidably includes a material amount of foreign material which may consist of dust, sand, silt and other foreign material picked up from the surrounding air, from containers and in handling, minute particles of flesh discharged from the cows udders with the milk, insects and other minute particles subject to putrefaction, as well as molds, yeast and other micro-organisms. Sufflcientiy complete removal of such material prior to pasteurization by a centrifugal clarification process is commercially impractical as is well understood by those skilled in the art.

Conventional practice in the manufacture of butter from sour cream includes the step of standardizing the acid in the cream before pasteurization.

Standardization of the acid present in the cream is analogous with the practice of neutralization or neutralizing, which consists essentially of adding definit quantities of compounds of alkaline reaction of known strength to a given amount of cream containing a predetermined quantity of acid calculated as lactic acid before pasteurization. The common practice is to reduce or adjust the acidity in the cream so the pH of the butter sera will fall within a range of 5.5 to 7.5. The reasons for such acid adjustment are:

1'. Less fat losses in buttermilk. 2. Prevent a burned, scorched flavor of butter. 3. Improve keeping quality of butter.

The standardization or adjustment of acidity may be accomplished by the addition of various kinds and mixtures of acid reducing agents which by the way of illustration but not by way of limitation may be sodium hydroxide, soda ash, sodium bicarbonate, calcium oxide or hydroxide. magnesium oxide or hydroxide, or others.

If the acid reduction or adjustment is carried to the point where the pH of the butter sera exceeds 7.5 the resulting butter possesses an undeslrable alkaline flavor and poor keeping quality in storage, rendering the resulting product of low commercial value.

Attempts have been made to clarify sour cream, the acidity of which has been standardized and then pasteurized in accordance with conventional practice, with centrifugal clariiiers, but such at.

tempts have been unsuccessful, with one exception, for the reason that the clariflers have been almost immediately clogged up by a very dry, tough rubbery sludge of an appearance and texture closely resembling the characteristics of cheddar cheese during the matting process. This sludge consists, to a great extent, of calcium caseinate or other casein compounds, and free lime where lime is used as a neutralizer, which is precipitated during the neutralizing operation. Such sludge can be torn from the clarifler bowl in strips or hunks, not unlike the appearance of white meat torn from the breast of a chicken that has been fried or baked. It is of a character and consistency absolutely precluding its elimination in centrifugal clariflers, either those of the closed bowl type or those types of so-called selfemptying centrifugal clarifiers and requires partial disassembly of the clarifler to remove the sludge. In the accompanying specification and claims the term centrifugal clariiier" contemplates any device designed to accomplish physical separation of liquids and/or solids that may contain two or more components of different specific gravities permitting'separating of their constituents, by centrifugal force. When it is understood that the passage of approximately twenty gallons of sour cream, the acidity of which has been standardized prior to pasteurization in accordance with conventional practice, is willcient to clog a centrifugal clarifier of standard design and construction having a rated capacity of approxmiately forty gallons of sweet mill: a minute to such an extent as to render its clarifying action no longer emcient, the impossibility of commercially clarifying such cream by such method is readily understood. Clarification by a filter bed, press or the like as differentiated from a centrifugal clarifler is impractical because of the length of time required for the operation, the high cost of operation and maintenance, added cost of floor space and equipment required and general inefliciency of operation. a

The one exception referred to above is where sour cream is fully neutralized to an alkaline state with a compound containing sodium ions to a pH value in excess of 7.5 of the butter sera, in which case the process is commercially impractical because of the resulting alkaline or soapy taste and poor keeping qualities.

Many creameries manufacture either or both condensed or powdered buttermilk as a by-prodnot for stock feeds and for other uses. It is known that sodium caseinate decomposes and undergoes certain undesirable changes at lower temperatures than calcium caseinate, hence when buttermilk is dried or condensed, the sodium caseinate formed where sodium compounds are usedto standardize the acid content of the cream, appears as a brown sticky gummy mass that hardens'after exposure to the air. This is another reason why neutralizing sour cream with sodium compounds is impractical.

If pasteurization is accomplished before the acidity is standardized by ordinary and common heat exchange pasteurizers. employing heated tubes or other heated surfaces to effect the transfer of heat to sour cream, certain disadvantages are encountered when the cream is churned into butter, viz. (1) high churning losses; (2) resulting butter possesses a burned or scorched flavor due to the presence of burned precipitated casein; (3) the butter possesses poor keeping qualities. Pasteurization of cream as contemplated herein is defined to mean a process in which the sour cream is subjected to such temperatures and for such time as to destroy pathogenic bacteria.

In accordance with the present invention it has been discovered that if pasteurization of sour cream is accomplished by live steam led into direct contact with the cream, which may be under pressure either above or below atmospheric, the disadvantage of pasteurization by the use of common or ordinary forms of heat exchangers is largely eliminated.

It has also been discovered that if pasteurization is carried out before neutralization, whether by conventional form of heat exchangers or by live steam, the resulting product has great ad- ,vantages over cream that has been neutralized before pasteurization. Obviously, however, to get the greatest benefit because of this change in conventional procedure, the pasteurization should be accomplished by direct contact with live steam, 'as by this method of pasteurization the precipitates have a different character and are present in lesser amounts than when pasteurized in the conventional manner.

Without limiting the process of the present invention to the pasteurization of sour cream either above or below atmospheric pressure, preferably but not necessarily by direct contact with steam that the resulting separated out matter or sludge as by the addition or admixture of steam thereis of a finely divided character and rather mushy. with, it has been discovered that by subjecting It may be readily discharged from conventional the hot cream so pasteurized to the influence of types or self-emptying centrifugal clariiiers and a partial vacuum, as by passing the hot cream 5 the commercial and satisfactory use of those types from the pasteurization directly into one or more is readily possible without the necessity of shutchambers under a suillcient partial vacuum to ting down for periodic cleaning. The clarifying eflect a flash vaporization of certain constituents may thus be accomplished in a quick and emcient thereof, important physical and chemical changes manner by existing apparatus. The sludge occur in the several constituents of the cream. formed in the clarifier by this new process con- Such pasteurization may be carried on at any sists largely of acid and heat precipitated casein temperature between 150 F. and 350 F. and and the extraneous materials that have gained the partial vacuum to which such cream is subentrance to the cream during productionh iected is preferably such that, at its existing temm v l of me of the inclu on mentioned may perature, flash vaporization of at least certain not be greatly important, except for the possible constituents thereof, as well as some cooling oi eilects they may have on the taste of the resultthe entire mass, will occur. The advantages of ns product, inasmuch as most micro-organisms such process are: have been killed in the pasteurization, but the l. The proteins normally precipitated by the result is a cleaner and better product.

formation of lactic acid in the cream and the go n standardi ing the a id t f t cream s proteins further precipitated when exposed to above described the acid reducing agents may be pasteurizing temperatures are very finely disintroduced into the cream after pasteurization, persed and broken up mechanically and physically or if the cream is to be clarified. during y sta e when the hot cream is subjected to the influence of Operation ubs qu t t the clarifying of partial vacuum. Further, it can be stated that utt r made fr m cr am processed n ac ordthis step results in an eflect upon the cream ance with the present invention. including the similar to atomizing, reducing the size of the yi g step, rates a higher score. calculated protein particles and dispersing them throughin accordance with the oillcial United States out the cream in a finely divided form, thus perstandards for creamery butter. p m l N vmitting a material amount of acid and heat d. 1933 y the United Sta-118$ Department f precipitated casein to pass through a centrifugal Agricul ure, Bureau of A ricul ur l E nomi clarifier whereas, where such pasteurized cream than when m d m identical Cream processed is not subjected to the vacuum step described n a r n wi h nv n practices n the casein would be of such character as to more s t e de f om Sou c eam in accordreadily clog the bowl and other parts of t enonce with the present invention has some of the trifugal machine. favorable characteristics of butter made from 2. Another advantagetothis vacuum treatment Sweet cream 1 addition, Cream p fle ssed n consists in a fine dispersion of the fat globules i accordance with the present invention, and butthe cream, thereby more completely separating e d other Products made from Such e m. the two important cream constituents from each 40 P05865888 materially 6 5 f B neutralizer flavor other, both in partial or wholly colloidal state. conspicuous in high acid e m than butter The advantage accures in this respect; that neglimade therefrom in accordance with conventional gible amounts of fat are entrain i th t i practice. One reason for this is that the acid conprecipitated by th t t t t and subsetent is materially reduced mechanically before tl l t, a standardization, thus reducing the amount of In standardizing the acidity after pasteurizaneutralize! required u e more. in butter tion the relatively violent chemical and physical made in accordance with the practices of the changes in the cream occurring when the acid is present invention. he fat globules in the cream standardized before pasteurization do not occur e acted upon i such a m nn r s to make them to nearly as great an extent and far less precipi- 50 of more uniform size. thus reducing the churntation occurs. This last fact is of importance 8 105888 is fiompalfd to conventional p a esdue to the fact that the precipitates carried with m the above l e ppreciated that by the buttermilk occurring when standardization h Pr cti 01 the Present invention sour cream of the acidity is carried out before pasteurization may be pasteurized and the acidity thereof recontain a large amount of butter fat which is a dulled in Such a manner as $0 p ve t e taste wasted and, accordingly, a considerable amount 1 other qualities of the resulting P duc that of which is saved when standardization is accomthe resulting product is so much more free of plished after pasteurization in accordance with extraneous materials as p ed to Such cream the present invention. In fact, the precipitates processedinthe conventional manner as to render occurring when standardization of the acid is on the clarification thereof commercially practicable accomplished after pasteurization, and particuwith existing apparatus, that butter made with larly where the pasteurized cream is subjected cream processed in accordance with the present to a partial vacuum as above such different character than the precipitates from identical 21am when processed by convenoccurring when sour cream is treated in accordu tional methods, and particularly where the acidance with conventional practice that th amount ity is standardized after pasteurization th of cream which maybe passed through acentrifusuiting butter carries a higher score, is devoid gal clarifier of the closed bowl type, of the of neutralizer flavors, and where clarified is ap y p vi u ly d i d fore reaching a devoid of foreign inclusions to a considerably point requiring cleaning out of the sludge, is in- 7 greater extent than butter produced from equive e ed to 300 t 4 0 mo e a lo s. de e alent cream in accordance with conventional upon the particular cream being processed, as practices.

compared to approximately twenty gallons of What i lai cream processed in accordance with conventional 1. In processing sour ore m practice. More important, however, is the fact 1| teurizing the cream by dirgct c c i rftc izt svizfi ifie steam. and then subiecting said cream to the action oi a centriiugai clariiier. and thereafter standardizing the acid content 01' said cream only alter clarification.

2. In the manuiacture of butter from sour cream, the steps 01 pasteurizing said cream, claria heating operation until its temperature is raised 20 to a value of between 150' I". and 350' It. then subjecting the cream substantially at its pasteurizing temperature to the eflects of such partial vacuum as to effect partial iiash vaporization and partial cooling oi. the cream. then aubiecting said cream to a centrifugal clarifying operation, and thereafter standardizing the acid content of said cream.

5. In the processing of sour cream carryilm obnoxious fiavors and odors, the steps or posted!- izing said cream before standardizing the acid thereof, subjecting the cream at on y the temperature at which it is pasteuriaed to the effects of a vacuum whereby to remove said flavors and odors from and cool said cream, then clarifying said cream, then standardizing the acid content oi said cream, and then chm-hing said cream to form butter.

CHARLES A. ROGERS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent Ho. 2,565,217.

December 19, 19bi CHARLES A. ROGERS It is hereby certified that error appears in me of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

crud column, line 7, first column, line 11,2, first column, line 5-14., claim 1,

for "approxmiately" read --approximatel claim 2, for "accures' read "accrues";

strike out the words printed specification Page 2 sec- P S 5, P "only after clarification; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the (Seal) this 27th day of March,

record of the case in the Leslie Frazer Acting Commissioner of Patents.

steam. and then subiecting said cream to the action oi a centriiugai clariiier. and thereafter standardizing the acid content 01' said cream only alter clarification.

2. In the manuiacture of butter from sour cream, the steps 01 pasteurizing said cream, claria heating operation until its temperature is raised 20 to a value of between 150' I". and 350' It. then subjecting the cream substantially at its pasteurizing temperature to the eflects of such partial vacuum as to effect partial iiash vaporization and partial cooling oi. the cream. then aubiecting said cream to a centrifugal clarifying operation, and thereafter standardizing the acid content of said cream.

5. In the processing of sour cream carryilm obnoxious fiavors and odors, the steps or posted!- izing said cream before standardizing the acid thereof, subjecting the cream at on y the temperature at which it is pasteuriaed to the effects of a vacuum whereby to remove said flavors and odors from and cool said cream, then clarifying said cream, then standardizing the acid content oi said cream, and then chm-hing said cream to form butter.

CHARLES A. ROGERS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent Ho. 2,565,217.

December 19, 19bi CHARLES A. ROGERS It is hereby certified that error appears in me of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

crud column, line 7, first column, line 11,2, first column, line 5-14., claim 1,

for "approxmiately" read --approximatel claim 2, for "accures' read "accrues";

strike out the words printed specification Page 2 sec- P S 5, P "only after clarification; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the (Seal) this 27th day of March,

record of the case in the Leslie Frazer Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

